During the Tribulation a world leader will arise. The Bible has many names for this leader, “the fierce king” (Dan 8:23), “abomination” (Matt. 24:15), “the man of sin” (2 Thess. 2:3), “the wicked one” (2 Thess. 2:8), “the beast” (Rev. 13.1) but he is most commonly known as “the Antichrist.”
The name Antichrist means “in place of” and “against” Christ. This name suits him well because just as Jesus is the world’s true Savior, the Antichrist will deceive the world into thinking he is their savior.
This is an overview of what the Bible says about the Antichrist:
1) HE WILL BE INSPIRED BY SATAN AND ASSISTED BY THE FALSE PROPHET
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9)
While the Antichrist will appear to be a great man, he will be a servant of Satan. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 tells us that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” so we shouldn’t be surprised that his followers deceive the world by “disguising themselves as servants of righteousness.”
During the Tribulation, Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet will form an unholy trinity. The False Prophet will lead people to the Antichrist and the Antichrist will lead people to Satan and Satan will lead them into hell.
2) HE WILL RISE TO POWER THROUGH PEACE
The world will be looking for a leader and Satan will be quick to provide one.
The Antichrist will preach a message of peace. The prophet Daniel says that “he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue” (Daniel 11:21).
Revelation 13:2 compares him to a leopard because he will rise to power very quickly. The verse goes on to say that his feet are like those of a bear, because of his fierce power and strength and his mouth is like that of a lion, because of his domination over the world.
3) HE WILL TAKE PART IN, AND BREAK, A PEACE TREATY WITH ISRAEL
“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week [seven years]; but in the middle of the week [three and-a-half- years] he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering…” (Daniel 9:26-27)
The Antichrist will seemingly make good on his peace promise when he makes a seven year peace treaty with Israel and her enemies. But in the middle of the treaty he will break the treaty and plunge the world war. Ultimately, there can be no peace without Jesus, “the Prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
4) HE WILL APPEAR TO BE FATALLY WOUNDED AND RESURRECTED
“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon [Satan]who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3-4).
There will be many miracles and wonders surrounding the Antichrist, but none as convincing as what Revelation 13:3-4 outlines. In an attempt to imitate Christ’s resurrection, the Antichrist will appear to be mortally wounded and come back to life.
The world will be amazed asking, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” They will think he is God and he will use this to his full advantage.
5) HE WILL CLAIM TO BE GOD AND FORCE THE WORLD TO RECEIVE HIS MARK
“… who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
After deceiving the world the Antichrist will declare that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 says that ‘because they did not receive the love of the truth, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
In other words, because the world rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior God will allow them to believe the Antichrist’s claim to be God. They will worship him and Satan.
He will force the “small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666” (Revelation 13:16-17).
The only way to buy or sell during the Antichrist’s reign will be to receive his mark. The only way to receive the mark is to worship him as God. Those who worship the Antichrist as God reject the true God and will go to hell.
The Antichrist will enter the world on a platform of peace, tell the people what they want to hear and amaze them with signs and wonders to win their trust. They are happy to accept his terms.